Ohio state representative John Boccieri seems like he’s looking to makes friends with the trucking industry. In a joint press conference with two owners of a local trucking company, Boccieri laid out his warning about, and solutions for, the ‘driver shortage.’
Boccieri is no stranger to the transportation industry. During his single term as a U.S. Congressman from 2009-2011, he served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee. Even though he lost his re-election bid in 2010 and is now a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, he is still pushing for infrastructure reform.
In a press conference on August 10th, flanked by two owners of a local trucking company, Boccieri laid out the problem with the trucking industry is he sees it: A lack of qualified workers.
The company owners with Boccieri complained about their “more than 100% turnover rate” even though their drivers are local and home every night.
“I’ve never seen it this bad,” one said.
The other owner claimed that the staffing issue could be due to a larger problem with society as a whole. He spoke about how sometimes they’ll have drivers who work for only a day and then stop showing up, and some who never show up at all.
Boccieri’s solution is to introduce new legislation that would give trucking companies tax incentives to hire new drivers, make earning a CDL less expensive, and push insurance companies to lower premiums.
According to a news report from local TV station WKBN, the state is also looking to study why there’s “such a shortfall of drivers and see if there’s a better way to encourage 18-25 years olds to start driving.”
Those are all similar to talking points addressed frequently by the American Trucking Association. Indeed, Boccieri started the press conference by citing a statistic from the ATA claiming that there will be a shortage of 175,000 truckers by 2024.
Source: gobytrucknews, wkbn, ttnews
Mike Moore says
There is no driver shortage its only a cheap driver shortage they are trying to overpopulate the driver pool so to drive down wages. Thats why the turnover they find put how bad the pay is and leave. If you pay better you wont have this issue just look at the companies that pay good no shortage there so you pay cheap you get cheap
Max says
“…see if there’s a better way to encourage 18-25 years olds to start driving.”
Oh come on! we all know what it will take…more money! Better home time! Less abuse by shippers/receivers!
I’ll crawl back under my rock now.
John says
There is no driver shortage. If there was drivers would be paid better, brokers pay better, fewer regulations, less trucks sitting at truck stops waiting for loads.
Christian says
Amen
John says
Simple solution. Pay them a decent wage for time!
Jr says
Money, why spend my time sitting around taking guff at both ends of a haul when I’m being paid by the mile? 2 hrs to load, paperwork, then sometimes 6 to unload, some national retailers are worse, that’s if I’m there an hr before the appointment. And more paperwork. Shipping, Receiving, and DOT, but unless I’m driving I’m worth nothing.
Dispatch me a day later after sitting in an “appropriate” rip off area (truck stop) go somewhere else, nope, truck drivers aren’t human…
The bigger the company the less human you are and the small ones rip you off on pay. O/O? ,,,,,and the brokers are worse take it or leave it
Steve Easton says
This is the truth. Once and for all THERE IS NO DRIVER SHORTAGE!!! The job is underpaid and drivers are treated like garbage. Always have been always will be.
Companies like CRE encourage high driver turnover. They profit from it because of government subsidies. A phoney job creation scheme.
The market is flooded so brokers say take it or leave it. What is offered is completely out of touch with reality. Fuel is hitting $3 a gallon again and a single tire can easily cost $400. Then they offer $1 a mile to shift 44,000 lbs through mountains at 5.5 to the gallon. A wait both ends as well. It is a joke. Driver shortage? Self serving fantasy more like.
Muneer Elazab says
You hit it right on the head brother, I don’t care about respect, just pay me more.
D says
To have people show up and work. You first have to do away with what is enabling them not to work
Government assistance of any kind.
When your hungry, no cigarettes, no money for tattoos
You will do without (which you should)
You steal
Go to work
troy says
The comments above tell the story. Im 55 and have been doing this 20 years. No way in hell I would have started this knowing how the industry would have changed and so obusive to drivers. From shippers to recievers and the companies that are run by bean counters and on top of that federal and local regulations that make you fear any law enforcement. Its a money grab and nobody is looking after drivers.
troy says
One other thing
Why are they giving subsidies to trucking companies IF its a DRIVER SHORTAGE? How about giving subsidies to drivers for all the extra work and time spent facilitating these loads and not getting paid. We should get to write that time off on out taxs at least.
Tim says
I’d like to know the names of those two companies. I bet they require at least one year experience. I have 4 months but can only find a few companies willing to hire me, all OTR positions, for a local daily position. Why? Because I don’t have enough experience. How can I get more experience if you want hire me due to lack of experience?????
Christian says
This is all Horse S just to push for unmanned trucks lol
Glenn says
Why would any 18-25 year old even want to drive a truck nowadays anyways?
It’s nothing but a negative industry full of abuse and poor treatment taking advantage of professional drivers who are only as good as the last load they pulled regardless of the millions of safe driving miles to their credit over 15-20+ years.
18-25 year olds can’t play video games if they’re driving a truck. But they can catch up while waiting for hours every day to be loaded/unloaded while not being paid. I’d rather stay home to and play video games on my own couch for free than sitting in some shipper/receiver parking lot 500 miles from home for free waiting to be loaded/unloaded.
All anybody remotely interested in this ‘profession’ has to do is do a Goog search and they’ll find hundreds of articles and forums about what has become the sewer of blue collar jobs, the trucking industry, and all the negativity, lack of respect & professionalism, poor pay, dismal working conditions, time away from home, and all around bs that has become the trucking industry.
It is what it is, and why after 17 years and 2 million safe miles I climbed out of a truck for the last time in Oct 2016 and don’t regret it a sec. It was an enjoyable ride and occupation in the 80’s & 90’s, but those days are loooonnnng gone.
Like 18-25 yr olds, I’d rather bag groceries at the local supermarket than have to jump through all the hoops of being qualified to drive a rig only too have everybody and their brother micro-managing every move I make every time I turn on the key.
Not no, but hell no!
Brian says
They all complain about driver turnover and are willing to pay big sign on bonuses to get new drivers. They should take that money and pay a retention bonus to the drivers they already have.
L A Draper says
I’m an o/o and I’m in debt like a college graduate except I have no degree and not much of a future. The govt will bring in more immigrants as the answer. Labor has always gotten the short end of the stick in this country. Nothing much changes.
Michael Gallegos says
It’s a DRIVER shortage, NOT a carrier shortage, so,
why are carriers getting an offer that should go to DRIVERS ?!?!?
Once again, Drivers are not in consideration.
Wenbo says
lol…They just want more cheap drivers. Cheap Cheap…
Steve says
This is not the driver shortage problem
For example CH ROBINSON take at least 1/3 profit from the gross of the load and the result is lower wages to truckers.
They hire dispatch with university degree to tell information posted on website and those information are so easy even for a 8 grade child.
So are other brokers just like CHR and that a big loss for the hard working driver.
Gear Grinder says
Is this a joke? The only way to fight the driver shortage is to set higher wage rates for drivesr, preferrably hourly with 1.5x for overtime. A week ago the government was wanting retailers to police carriers to prevent the servitude scheme carriers use. Now they want to give carriers corporate welfare.
Paul says
Typical politician, give tax breaks to companies yet the companies won’t pass it on to the driver…
Also you can’t even drive a semi until you’re 21…right? I damn sure wouldn’t want to see an 18yr old behind the wheel
Jeremy says
Recruiting young people into an industry that is said to be first to fall victim to large scale artificial intelligence/autonomous technology that the establishment is supporting full throttle? Does anyone else see the problem with this? Bureaucratic buffoonery of the most extreme example.
Super trucker says
Home time, benefits, w2 and a liveable wage seems pretty easy to figure out. Fast food employees get more respect than truck drivers. Why would any young people want to do this with all the civil liberties you sign away when you get your CDL.
Mark says
True
Jon McLaughlin says
There is no shortage of drivers, there is a shortage of experienced drivers. The laws passed by predominately Democratic houses in the last 15 years that created the “puppy mills” of truck drivers is the problem. These clowns get maybe two weeks on a closed course and then go out with a trainer whom has only been away from a trainer for 6 to 8 weeks. NO EXPERIENCE. Then they are with the trainer for 4 to 6 weeks. Then in their own truck for about a month and are told that they no longer have a position for them as a company driver. BUT, then they are told that they can do a lease purchase and to defray that cost, if they become a trainer, they will put more money in their pockets every payday. They should mot be allowed to be trainers until they have at least 5 years under their belts as a solo or team driver.
David C Bowman says
I live in Ohio. I think the solution isn’t giving the companies money! The solution is giving the drivers money.
Due to traffic volume on interstates,congested areas getting off the highway to and from shippers/ consignee. Cities have made so many on ramps and off ramps it is unbelievable! Interstates were designed for industry and long distance travel not for some town to build a bunch of subdivisions. Then places ramps over burdening the interstate!
Pay the drivers double which is what they are worth! Why souls someone drive a truck when the forklift driver makes more! Mileage pay is a joke. 30 dollars an hour at 50 cents a mile when Abe 60 miles an hour. Also pay for time at shopper and drop. 30 dollars each place. Force people to pay high detention 250 dollars an hour. Detention pay for truckers is a joke! Like I say it’s not worth the trouble for the pay! You are an idiot to think giving the companies more money will work. How stupid are you people? That first give truckers any more insensitive to drive for them. Screw your short haul traffic jam bull shit! 2000 dollars a week for the truck drivers. You are a joke 17 dollars an hour! I drive a truck and have loaded with forklifts. You wouldn’t ever get me off a forklift to drive a truck for the same wage!